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Bill Shorten shoots some serious zingers

David Speers
21 October 2016

By David Speers

Some may doubt Bill Shorten’s comic ability. His “zingers” have usually made us laugh at him rather than with him. But late yesterday, the Opposition Leader showed he’s capable of the sort of withering humour seen far too rarely since the days of Peter Costello and Paul Keating.

Shorten had good reason to laugh at the end of a week in which the government gave him way too much material. In a speech to wrap up the parliamentary sitting fortnight, he worked his way through a string of recent government embarrassments.

The best laughs came from some of the more hilarious moments in this week’s Senate estimates hearings: the new “luggage lift” installed at the Lodge, the revelation Malcolm Turnbull’s culinary preferences are “classified” and the confusion over whether Marise Payne or Christopher Pyne is more senior in the Defence portfolio.

Shorten nailed George Brandis for appointing 37 folks to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (with salaries of up to $370,000) without advertising the positions or taking Departmental advice. And he didn’t miss Kelly O’Dwyer either for accidentally letting a Labor amendment pass the House which condemned the government.

Then came the real meat of Shorten’s attack. The Liberals had descended into “civil war” he said, after being “caught out dealing votes for guns”. 

It’s fair to say not one person in either the government or opposition would have expected the Adler A110 lever-action shotgun to dominate political debate this week in the way it has. This was meant to be the week the Coalition put the heat on Labor for being too cosy with the CFMEU and not supporting the building industry watchdog, the ABCC.

Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm had other ideas. He opened a can of worms when he said his vote for the ABCC could be traded for ending the import ban on the Adler.

Given the electorate holds Australia’s tough gun laws with justifiable pride, the very thought of doing such a deal with Leyonhjelm should have rung alarm bells. Instead, Malcolm Turnbull went on radio and then spoke to reporters without shutting down the prospect. If anything, he seemed to be initially fueling the suggestion. 

This was a mistake only fixed up after a parliamentary belting from Labor.

In the interim, Tony Abbott entered the fray. He insists his target was Leyonhjelm, but when he tweeted “disturbing to see reports of horse-trading on gun laws”, most assumed he was aiming at Turnbull.

Within an hour, Leyonhjelm produced an email exchange showing it was in fact the Abbott Government that offered him the initial “trade” on guns. The email came from a staffer in Justice Minister Michael Keenan’s office and offered Leyonhjelm a 12-month sunset clause on the Adler ban “in return” for him supporting the government on something else.

Abbott tried to suggest it was a rogue Ministerial staffer when he told the ABC’s 7:30 there were “no deals from my office”. This led to inevitable Labor questions in parliament, where both Keenan and Peter Dutton confirmed Abbott’s office was indeed well aware of the offer. For good measure Turnbull said his “inquiries” backed this up too. All three were confident. There is apparently a paper trail linking Abbott’s office to all this, although it’s yet to be made public.

Abbott did check with his relevant staff on Wednesday before sticking his neck out. He was convinced there was no contact with his office. It’s possible a former advisor simply forgot. Either way, if and when hard evidence is produced of his office being told, Abbott will be embarrassed further.

The former PM’s public interventions this week may have been well intentioned. He genuinely is concerned about allowing this new shotgun to be imported. Even before Leyonhjelm was offered this apparent “deal” in August last year, the Abbott Government had decided to act with a temporary ban.  

Whatever his intention though, the political reality is even a tweet from Abbott that’s interpreted as critical of Turnbull can spiral out of control, damaging the government and derailing its entire week.

And everyone on the Coalition side can be sure Bill Shorten won’t miss an opportunity. It was the government that shot itself in the foot this week. It was Shorten who made sure it did so with a rapid-fire 7-shot gun.

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